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Research suggests that greater levels of body appreciation and body satisfaction may protect women from negative outcomes when viewing media images of the thin-ideal. In this study, we compared the effectiveness of body appreciation and body satisfaction in ameliorating negative effects from viewing images of the traditional thin-ideal and the newer functional-ideal (i.e., models presented in active stances with a focus on the function of their body). A sample of 122 women (M age = 24.43 years) from a regional university and the general community was recruited to complete an online study. Participants were randomly allocated to view images of models presented in either an active or posed stance, or images of scenery. Participants completed pre- and post-test measures of appearance and functionality satisfaction, as well as trait measures of body appreciation and satisfaction. Results showed that women had poorer outcomes after viewing the active but not the posed or scenery images. Neither body appreciation nor body satisfaction moderated effects. Active, functional images may be particularly insidious and further research is needed to identify effective protective strategies., (Crown Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Although research has suggested that body image improves following self-compassion meditation training, studies have been limited due to the use of a wait-list control group. This study therefore compared the effects of self-compassion meditations to an active control group. Seventy young adult women (17-35 years) were randomly assigned to receive either self-compassion or nature-focused guided imagery meditations. Over one week, participants engaged in two meditations and completed pre- and post-test measures of trait self-compassion, body appreciation, body shame, and appearance-contingent self-worth. A mixed design analysis of variance revealed a main effect of time; women in both meditation groups demonstrated significant increases in self-compassion and body appreciation, and significant reductions in body shame. No effect was found for appearance-contingent self-worth. There were no interactions or main effects for group. Self-compassion may improve body image in women, although there was no evidence for an advantage of self-compassion over guided imagery meditations. Common elements between self-compassion and guided imagery may be a mechanism for improving body image. However, further research is warranted to isolate the effects of these meditations from other specific and non-specific treatment effects. (This study was pre-registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12618001814268)., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The dot-probe task (DPT) is a reaction time measure of attentional bias. Research using this task has found inconsistent patterns of appearance-related attentional biases in women. This study examined the effects of a novel priming variation of the DPT, which incorporated additional cues into each trial of the task, on measurement of such biases. The study also examined associations between these biases and body image, a component of eating disorder symptomatology. A convenience sample of women from the general community (N = 103) completed body image measures online and attended a laboratory session to complete one of four DPTs: (1) an appearance-cued DPT containing images of thin-ideal models between each trial; (2) neutral-cued DPT containing images of forests; (3) time-delayed DPT controlling for time in place of an image; or (4) typical DPT containing only word stimuli. Women who completed the appearance-cued DPT demonstrated a stronger attentional bias for positive, but not negative, appearance words than women who completed the other DPT versions. Furthermore, for the appearance-cued and time-delayed DPTs, this bias correlated with poorer body image across several indicators (appearance evaluation, body dissatisfaction, self-evaluative salience of appearance, and state body satisfaction). Although it was unexpected that no attentional bias for negative-appearance words was found, the attentional bias for positive-appearance words may suggest that effects were driven by the ego-threat of positive-appearance words. Further research is warranted to determine whether such biases contribute to and maintain body image disturbance and disordered eating., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Self-compassion, an increasingly popular psychological construct, has been associated with masculine norm adherence, shame, and rumination. However, limited research has considered the relationship between self-compassion and body image; a construct that heavily overlaps with masculinity for men in contemporary Western culture. This study examined the relationship between self-compassion, body dissatisfaction, and sociocultural processes (social comparison, internalization of appearance ideals) in 231 Australian men aged between 18 and 51 years (M = 28.53, SD = 9.85). Results showed that high self-compassion, low social comparison, and low internalization predicted lower levels of body dissatisfaction. Specifically, the self-compassion subcomponents of Isolation, Mindfulness, and Common Humanity were the strongest predictors of body dissatisfaction. Additionally, self-compassion moderated the relationship between internalization of lean appearance ideals and body fat dissatisfaction. That is, lean internalization and body fat dissatisfaction were strongly correlated for men with low self-compassion, and weakly correlated for men with high self-compassion. These findings highlight the protective function that self-compassion may play within the sociocultural context of male body image. Further research is needed to understand how self-compassion interacts with measures of masculinity to predict body image outcomes for men. Public Significance Statement: Self-compassion was negatively correlated with body dissatisfaction, social comparison, and internalization of appearance ideals in adult men. Additionally, it moderated the relationship between internalization of lean appearance ideals and body fat dissatisfaction. The provision of self-compassion psychoeducation for men may be an important strategy to help buffer directly against negative body image outcomes, or the sociocultural processes that lead to body dissatisfaction within contemporary Western society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited research has investigated appearance-related attentional biases in men. This study examined the effects of priming on attentional biases in men and whether the biases were associated with body image. The dot-probe task (DPT), a commonly used reaction time-based measure, was adapted to include images between each trial of the task to test the effects of these images on attentional biases for appearancerelated word stimuli. Men (N = 60) completed body image questionnaires online and attended a laboratory session, completing either (a) an appearance-cued DPT, containing images representing the muscular ideal; (b) a neutral-cued DPT, containing images of forests; or (c) a DPT with time delay in place of an image. Attentional biases for positive- and negative-appearance words did not differ for men who completed the three DPT versions. However, for men who completed the appearance-cued DPT, attentional biases for positive-appearance words correlated with a range of state experiences, including greater levels of muscularity and appearance dissatisfaction and poorer confidence and mood. The results suggest that men may experience poorer body image outcomes by automatically attending to the positive attributes of media depictions of the muscular ideal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the effects of aesthetic and functional idealized images on men's body satisfaction. It describes body-as-process (BAP) and body-as-object (BAO) images. It mentions the results measuring the mood, body satisfaction and trait measures of body image of men following viewing of BAP, BAO scenery images. It reveals the lowered levels of fitness and overall appearance satisfaction caused by BAP image viewing, and trait and fitness as predictors of BAP condition.